Removable clamp shoe with til table work engaging element



Aug. 18, 1953 A. GULLAND 2,649,123

D. REMOVABLE CLAMP SHOE WITH TILTABLE WORK ENGAGING ELEMENT Filed Jan. 20, 1948 my; I

mam kw 3 \Dona/a O. Gu/land Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REMOVABLE CLAMP SHOE WITH TILTABLE WORK ENGAGING ELEMENT 3 Claims.

This invention relates to clamp shoes or the like, and more particularly to a device which may be used as the work-contacting element of a clamp and comprising two parts connected to each other by means of a coupling permitting swiveling and/or universal movement.

Although the device is capable of use with various tools and machines other than clamps, it is convenient to describe it primarily as a clamp shoe.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial Number 617,465, filed September 20, 1945, for Swivel Nut.

An object of the invention is to provide a device usable as a clamp shoe and having improved features as to universal and/or swiveling action.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type indicated which is of simplified construction, easily manufactured and installed, and sturdy and dependable in operation.

A further object is to provide a clamp shoe adapted to various types of clamps or the like, and adaptable to use in widely different installations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which is readily connected to and disconnected from the clamp or other device with which it is associated.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the appended drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of an assembly including one form of device embodying the invention, showing the same in relation to the work.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the same form of device.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the work-engaging part of the device.

Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section, of the part shown in Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 are views in side elevation, with parts broken away, of two modified forms of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view, with parts broken away, taken on line 'i'! of Fig. 6.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology 0r terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Figure 1 is intended to illustrate any arrangement wherein a member such as the screw l0 exerts a thrust by means of a shoe [2, [3 upon the surface M of a piece of work [6. The surface l4 may, as in the illustrated example, be inclined from a plane normal to the direction of the thrust, and the point of application may be relatively inaccessible, as indicated by the fact that the work is of irregular shape and is positioned in a flask or jig IB, one wall 20 of which serves to hold the work while another wall 22 is tapped to serve as a reaction member for the screw Ill. Pressure is applied by rotating the screw, as by handwheel 24. The inclination of surface 14 from a plane normal to the thrust line may represent merely the draft angle of a casting, but is frequently sufiiciently great to require a universal coupling between the thrusttransmitting element I2 and the work-engaging element iii of the shoe. In order to permit the screw III to be rotated while the shoe is in engagement with the work, a swivel connection between the two elements is required.

The clamp shown in Figures 1-4 comprises a thrust-transmitting element [2 in the form of a nut, provided with a threaded bore 26 which receives the screw [0. The bore 26 is formed with a flat bottom, as shown, to form a seat for the end of the screw, so that thrust will be transmitted directly to said seat and will not tend to shear the threads of the screw and bore. The nut I2 is formed with a collar 23 having a contour of hexagonal or other shape to receive a wrench for turning the nut onto the screw.

Connected to collar 28 by a cylindrical shank 3B is a bearing member 32 havin a convex or part-spherical outer surface of greater diameter than the shank.

The shoe also includes a head l3 having a for- Ward work-engaging surface 34, which may be plane, as shown, or may be grooved to engage a tubular piece of work, or otherwise suitably shaped. Opposite the surface 34 is a female conical bearing surface 36, which may be formed by an ordinary drill, and which is adapted to contact the convex surface of member 32 to permit both swiveling and universal movement therebetween with a minimum of friction. Extending rearwardly from the surface 35 is an annular flange 38 which is originally formed with a beveled edge as indicated at 40 in Fig. 4. When the elements l2, l3 are assembled together, the edge 40 is spun over to the form shown in Figure 3 2 to secure the two elements permanently together while still leaving enough clearance between said edge and the shank 39 to permit a limited amount of universal movement, as indicated by the broken lines in Figure 2.

The bearing member 32 may be formed with an axial bore 4| connecting the bore 26 with the space between the spherical surface of member 32 and the conical surface 86. Thus after the edge 49 is spun over, the assembly may be heat treated and quenched, the bore 4! serving to conduct water or other quenching liquid to otherwise inaccessible parts of the assembly. The bore 4! may also serve to retain lubricant for the device where lubrication is found desirable.

In the assembly of the nut 52 with the screw I0, it will often be found desirable to screw the two parts together with such force as to "jam the threads, thus causing the nut to be retained I.

on the screw in spite of such torque as will be exerted upon it by application and release of the clamp, while still permitting the nut to be moved by the greater torque exerted by a wrench.

In order to use this device in an arrangement as is shown in Figure 1, the work 59 is placed in the jig l8, and screw [9 is screwed through the wall 22. The shoe l2, i3 is then placed on the end of the screw, the nut 12 being tightened until the end of the screw seats against the bottom or bore 26. surface 34 into engagement with the work and to apply the requisite pressure thereto. The head l3 tilts to adapt itself to the inclination of the Work surface, pressure being transmitted thereto from the end of the screw to the bottom of bore t 26, thence through the annular contact between surface 32 and 36, and thence to the Work.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the nut, which in this figure is designated by the reference numeral 70, is formed with a knob '52 the surface of which forms the greater portion of a sphere. The work engaging head 73 is formed with a flange M which is spun inwardly to engage the knob 12 with a sliding fit, to permit universal and swiveling movement. The forward surface 16 of the head 73 is here shown as convex, which is merely illustrative of the various shapes which this surface may take in the several embodiments.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the

nut 90 receives the screw 10 in the same manner as shown in Fig. 2, and is formed at its forward end with a cylindrical shank 92 terminating in a part-spherical surface 94 which cooperates with a conical surface 99 in a work-engaging head 98, the latter being generally similar to the corresponding element shown in Fig. 4. The flange 199 of the head is in this case not spun over, but a retaining key or pin I92 is passed therethrough, in tangential relation to an annular groove I94 which is of such size as to allow clearance to permit a limited amount of universal, as Well as swiveling, movement between the two elements of the shoe.

Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments thereof, it may be embodied in other forms within the skill of artisans in this art, and is not limited except in accordance with the terms of the following claims.

I claim:

1. As a separate article of manufacture, a universal pressure shoe adapted to be detachably connected to devices including pressure screws, said shoe including a pressure screw engaging The screw is then rotated to bring the member comprising a body having a cylindrical recess threaded to engage a pressure screw and a fiat bottom adapted to be contacted by the end of the pressure screw to receive and transmit pressure forces, nut flats provided on said body, and a part-sphere provided on the end of said body adjacent the bottom of said recess; and a work-engaging member comprising a cup-shaped body having a depressed conical bottom adapted to be engaged by said part-sphere and connected to said pressure screw engaging member.

2. As a separate article of manufacture, a universal pressure shoe adapted to be detachably connected to devices including pressure screws, said shoe including a pressure screw engaging member comprising a body having a cylindrical recess threaded to engage a pressure screw and a flat bottom adapted to be contacted by the end of the pressure screw to receive and transmit pressure forces, nut flats provided on said body, and a part-sphere provided on the end of said body adjacent the bottom of said recess and coaxially therewith; and a work-engaging member comprising a cup-shaped body having a depressed conical bottom adapted to be engaged by said part-sphere, the edge of said cup-shaped body being bent to embrace said part-sphere to retain said members together but to provide for limited relative rocking of said members and their rotation through the 360 degree angle.

3. As a separate article of manufacture, a universal pressure shoe adapted to be detachably connected to devices including pressure screws, said shoe including a pressure screw-engaging member comprising a hollow cylindrical body closed at one of its ends by a fiat bottom and internally threaded to engage the thread of a pressure screw with the end of the screw contacting the bottom of the recess, a half-sphere integrall formed on said closed end of said cylindrical body co-axially therewith, said halisphere being of larger diameter than said cylindrical body to provide a shoulder, wrench flats provided on the open end of said body; and cupshaped work-engaging member having a depressed conical bottom engaged by said halfsphere, the circular edge of said worlnengaging member being bent to engage the shoulder of said pressure screw engaging member to retain said members together but to provide for limited relative rocking of said members and their rotation through the 360 degree angle.

DONALD A. GULLAND.

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